Car-coupling



W. R; FIREBAUGH. Gar Coupling.

WITNESSES: IBQIVENTOR:

I I BY I I f ATTORNEYS.

N.PE\'ER$, FHOYOUTHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D c

' TATES WILLIAM It. FIREBAUGH, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,782, dated August31, 1880.

Application filed February 4, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,WILL1AM Ross-FIRE- BAUGH, of Danville, in the countyof Vermillion and State of Illinois, have invented a new and ImprovedOarOoupling, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedcar-coupling, whichis simple in construction and effective in use.

The invention consists in a coupling formed of a link fastened to ashaft passing through and loosely mounted in a draw-head provided with ahook and a buffer, upon which shaft a cam provided with a weighted latchand acted upon by a locking-sprin g is rigidly mounted. The shaft of thesaid cam can be rotated by means of a crank-shaft and chains, or by acrank directly, whereby the pivoted link is engaged with or disengagedfrom the hook on the opposite draw-head.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improvedcar-coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the sameon the line as m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A draw-head, A, is arranged to slide forward and backward on the underside of the car-floor P, and is provided with some suitable spring B todiminish the shock when the said draw-head is struck. The slidingarrangement and the spring may be provided in some well-known manner.

The draw-head is provided with a large slot, 0, which is partiallycovered by a hook, D, the rear end of which is pivoted on the top of therear of the draw-head, and the forward end of which rests on the forwardend of the draw-head. A shaft, E, passes transversely through thedraw-head in the forward half of the same, and upon this shaft a cam, F,provided with a shoulder, f, a sector-recess, K, and a weighted latch,Gr, resting in said recess, is mounted between the sides of thedrawhead; and a link, H, is also mounted on this shaft E, but to theoutside of the draw-head, as shown. This link H may be curved or angularat the forward end, as may be desired. A spring, I, provided with aflange, J, at the forward end, is fastened between the sides of thedraw-head in such a manner that the said flange J rests against the camF. The shaft E, and with it the cam F and link H, can be rotated eitherby applying power directly to said shaft E or by means of the shaft L,provided with a crank, O, and mounted on the standards N N, and actingupon the shaft E by means of the ropes or chains M M, coiled around theshafts E and L in opposite directions.

The operation is as follows Assuming that the link H is engaged with thelink of the opposite draw-head, as indicated in dotted lines, the carsare uncoupled by rotating the shaft E in the direction of the arrow tountil the flange J of the spring I, which flange rests on the surface ofthe cam F, catches on the shoulder f of said cam, as shown. The link H,having-been raised by the above operation, is locked in the positionshown in Fig. 2... If two cars are to be coupled, the link H of onedraw-head is locked in this position, and the buffers of the cars arebrought in contact. The cam F is again rotated in the direction of thearrow a, so that the weighted latch G will pass under the-flange J ofthe spring I, and raise the said spring slightly, so that the sameglides on the outer surface of the cam. If the shaft E is now rotated inthe inverse direction of the arrow a, the flange J of the spring Icannot catch on the shoulder f, for the weighted latch rests against itand supports the flange J, so that the same glides over the saidshoulder. The link H will descend in the direction of the arrow I andcan take on the hook of the opposite draw-head, or can hang downvertically, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. One of the links mustalways rest in this position, so as not to interfere with the action ofthe link of the other coupling.

The ropes or chains M M are coiled around the shafts L and E in such amanner that when one is wound upon either shaft the other rope isunwound on the same shaft, or, in other terms, the two ends of thechains are coiled around the shafts in opposite directions, so that byturning the crank O in one direction the link H is raised, and byrotating in the opposite direction the same is dropped.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 3. In a car-coupling, theconstruction of the as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcam F witha recess, K, in which a weighted entlatch, G, is pivoted, substantiallyas herein I 5 1. A car-coupling made substantially as shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set 5 herein shown and described, andconsisting of forth.-

the combination, with a link, H, of the hook D, the shaft E, cam F,weighted latch G, and WILLIAM ROSS FIREBAUGH.

spring I, as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with Witnesses:

' 10 the cam F, of the spring I and the weighted E. WINTER,

latch G, substantially as herein shown and GEO. W; FLYNN. described, andfor the purpose set forth.

